I'm a giant

This country was not made for us 5’10’’ gringas, and the following blog post will explain why.

1) Buses:

Sunday is the day where a couple of us head to the nearby city of Sangloqui to buy our produce from the outdoor market. The market is a sensory overload to say the least. The produce is fresh and ripe; I stopped in my tracks at the smell of some peaches. You can also smell quite the assortment of aromas from live animals or street food. Smell? Check. The market is bursting with color. There is literally a vegetable or fruit of any color you can think of. We have pink bananas! Not to mention anything you buy is put into pastel striped plastic bags. Sight? Check. There is music blasting from tiendas and children yelling prices from the family stand: “Pepinas, pepinas; un dolar, un dolar!!” Sound? Check. The best way to describe touch is to say that Ecuadorians are, well, more affectionate to strangers than us Americans. Lastly, taste. Yummmm (self-explanatory). I digressed. On the bus to Sangloqui this past Sunday, my head touched the roof. I had to duck when we hit bumps to make sure I didn’t give myself a concussion. Once we got off the bus in Sangloqui, my abnormal height was further reiterated. I had to practically crawl down the street to avoid getting an eyeball poked out by a tent. I also was smacked in the face with a bag of garlic that sits comfortably above any Ecuadorian’s head (they must need a step stool to get the bag down for customers).

2) Showers:

The shower head is fairly low, but definitely manageable. The problem with the shower isn’t as much the height as is the fact that it is electric. Yes, cold water comes through the pipes and is heated as it passes through the shower head. Not so bad, except for the electrical wires sticking out in running water… a little couter-intuitive. My height gives me trouble here, because I tend to electrocute myself when I try to stretch my arms up in the shower. Welp.

3) Mob breathing:

10 de agosoto was Quito’s independence. 2009 marked the country's bicentennial, so it was kinda a big deal. We went into town to find thousands of people crowding together in various plazas watching live performances and celebrating all things Quito. We ended the night by watching the Conocoto fireworks from our bedroom window. Feliz cumpleaños, Quito! Once we got we got to the main plaza ("plaza grande") where the president's house is, we listened to the national symphony and various other performers doing a sound check. There were balloons everywhere with people wearing light-up headbands and flags. We couldn't see the stage very well, so we moved towards the right edge of the plaza. All of a sudden people started chanting "CO-RRE-A" (the Pres. of Ecuador) and we joked about how he was going to come out of his house (that we're pretty sure he doesn't actually live in). Then... he emerged, and we were RIGHT in front of him, like 6 rows back. It was crazy. We were an arms’ length away watching him shaking hands and kissing babies. Immediately following was the worst stampede/mosh pit ever. Ecuadorians are sooo short and fat. They have such a low center of gravity that they just hit me at the knees and I would fall on top of someone. We had no personal space whatsoever, but unlike 99% of people in the crowd, I could breathe. This time my tall genes worked in my favor.

Overall, it seems that my height is still working in my favor. Thanks, dad!